The Shine curriculum from Brethren Press and MennoMedia is offering a webinar on July 27 at 7 p.m. (Eastern time) for those interested in finding out more about what is planned for the fall quarter. Registration is now open at https://shinecurriculum.com/resources/webinar-registration.
Among other business, the board spent a significant amount of time continuing its work to align denominational ministries with its new Strategic Plan. Other top agenda items included a 2022 budget parameter for Core Ministries, recommendations from a team “re-imagining” Brethren Press, and the calling of a new Executive Committee.
The Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board will hold its pre-Annual Conference meeting on Saturday and Sunday, June 26-27. The meeting will be a hybrid of in-person and Zoom options for attendance, with most of the board members gathering at the General Offices in Elgin, Ill.
“You told us that you’d like a choice, so we’re offering both print and digital teaching resources this fall,” said an announcement from Brethren Press and the Shine curriculum produced jointly with MennoMedia.
An upcoming virtual conversation titled “Listening and Learning from Brethren Leaders of Asian-American Heritage” is sponsored by the Church of the Brethren Office of Ministry. The event held through Zoom on May 5 at 7:30 p.m. (Eastern time) will focus on the current concern for the safety, needs, and valuing of Asian-American and Pacific Islander members of American society in light of recent instances of violence directed toward them.
“When you eat with Jesus, anything can happen!” said an announcement of the new “Come to the Table” Vacation Bible School from Shine, the Sunday school curriculum jointly produced by Brethren Press and MennoMedia.
The Church of the Brethren Yearbook is now offering resources that may be downloaded and printed from a new web page at www.brethren.org/yearbook. The Yearbook is published annually by Brethren Press. It includes statistics as reported by congregations and districts and a denominational directory of districts, congregations, ministers, and more.
Brethren Press managing editor James Deaton (right, shown at center) attended the 2021 annual meeting of the Committee on the Uniform Lessons Series (CUS). The series is a basis for Bible study curriculum used in common by many denominations and publishing partners. Deaton attended on behalf of the Church of the Brethren publishing house, which uses the adult curriculum outlines for A Guide for Biblical Studies. He also is a member of the Adult Age‐Level Team, which reviews the development of the curriculum outlines for adults and creates teaching strategies.
Church of the Brethren membership in the United States and Puerto Rico has fallen below 100,000, according to the 2020 Church of the Brethren Yearbook from Brethren Press. For 2019, the Yearbook reported 98,680 members in 24 districts and 978 local worshiping communities across the Church of the Brethren denomination–a net loss of 5,766 over the previous year.
The Wild Way of Jesus: Devotions for Ash Wednesday Through Easter, written by Anna Lisa Gross, is the 2021 Lenten devotional from Brethren Press. “This Lent, walk with Jesus along his wilderness way,” said an announcement. “Look to the birds in the air, taste mustard growing along the path, and greet people deemed outcasts. Follow Jesus through the world’s wild edges and experience life-giving good news.”
